The desirability of having steps for recreational vehicles that may be folded out of the way when not in use has long been recognized. Such steps should fold readily, store compactly and permit easy, safe access to the vehicle. One design has incorporated a motor assembly for automatically extending and retracting the step assembly. The motor rotates a pivot rod through a gear assembly which is coupled to the rod. The pivot rod moves a linkage assembly to extend and retract the steps. When the user steps onto the step assembly when it is extended, the forward force created by the weight of the user tends to rotate the rod, which in turn rotates the motor in reverse. The inertia of the gearbox tends to absorb the motion of the assembly which can be detrimental over time. An improved mechanism for extending and retracting collapsible steps is needed.